


I've Been Here Before

by Cupcakemolotov



Series: come alive [20]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Meet Cute, Caroline in New York City, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 09:01:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14329065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cupcakemolotov/pseuds/Cupcakemolotov
Summary: Frustrated and annoyed for reasons she can't quite understand, an afternoon walk dramatically changes when Caroline runs into an old friend.





	I've Been Here Before

Caroline wasn't exactly bored, per se, but she found herself floundering. Usually her winters were spent lounging on a beach, enjoying cocktails and the sun on her skin. Winter Wonderland was only really fun in theory, and rarely for more than a week.

In the three years since she'd caved to Bonnie's quiet pressure to be closer and settled in New York City, she'd never stayed past the first blistering cold snap. NYC was as close as she'd allow herself to settle to Mystic Falls, her adamant refusal to involve herself in any Salvatore stupidity required space to maintain. She wasn't quite so young anymore, had lingering emotional scars to show for it, but she wasn't willing to risk it.

She'd fallen in love with New York City in the Fall, and it remained her favorite season. Pumpkin spice, changing leaves, and air just chilly enough to get away with cute scarves and cuter boots. Halloween was a fun rush of costumes and blood, the supernatural community enjoying the chance to let a little fang and fur out. Usually, she was packed up and gone, long before the first Christmas lights were strung.

But that year, she'd found herself waffling.

Something about the winter chill had her lingering, and it wasn't loneliness that kept her feet rooted to US soil. Caroline had spent part of her summer with Bonnie, chatted with her on a weekly basis. But as Thanksgiving rolled around, she contemplated possible tickets and travel plans, and found herself staying put.

She baked her grandma's pumpkin pie receipt for the first time in decades. She'd spent a amusing day cooking over Skype with Bonnie, complaining about potatoes and turkey brine-ing. Made faces at an assortment of grand babies and her nieces and nephews.

Now, the first real snow flurries hissed softly against her windows and she felt restless. She'd attempted to book flights to Barcelona three times that afternoon, thoughts of her favorite Tempranillo dancing in her head and somehow, she hadn't managed it. It wasn't due to financial concerns. Those Finance classes she'd been stupidly bored in had been useful, and the occasional tip dropped by older vampires she'd met around had been more so.

So why wasn't she currently sprawled on a beach, eyeing the nearest cabana boy as desert?

Closing her laptop in frustration, Caroline headed for her jacket. She'd never done well with indecisiveness, and her apartment was starting to feel suffocating. Dinner and wine might clear her head, maybe a walk to burn off her jitters.

A little tipsy from a few of her favorite stops, she stared up at lights on the tree at Rockefeller Square. Closing her eyes to hide the pretty Christmas tree lights, Caroline resigned herself to popping into Mystic Falls for the Christmas. Bonnie had grudgingly allowed her solitude on Thanksgiving, but there was no avoiding the Bennett Family during Christmas if she was stateside.

Which meant she'd have to see Damon.

God, she could already imagine how those comments would go. He'd never forgiven her for refusing to help find a way to bring Elena, and Caroline refused to apologize for encouraging her friend to live. The antagonization between them had shifted into a razored dislike, and Caroline was looking forward to the day she never had to see him again.

Caroline hadn't talked to Stefan is years. Last she'd heard he was somewhere in Canada, tucked away in the wilderness. She'd wondered if he'd found what needed, surrounded by caribou and wolves. But Stefan wasn't her emotional weight anymore, hadn't been for decades, and Caroline had no intention of bridging the gap between them.

Some scars healed slower than others.

Buried in her thoughts, she missed the sounds of a growing commotion, right up until someone in a hurry clipped her. Stumbling, she hissed as her boot slipped on the thin layer of slush, ankle turning sharply. Off balance, she nearly ended up on her ass when the party chasing the previous jerk slammed into her as well. Instinctively, her hands reached for anything to stop her tumble and she grabbed a fistful of jacket.

Somehow, they stayed upright, even as she head threads pop.

She'd have felt bad about it, but he'd ran into her. Glaring up, angry words on the tip of her tongue, she froze in shock as she took in a very familiar face. The nearby street vendors buried his scent beneath an assortment of cooked meat, but the feel of him was unmistakable.

He wasn't looking at her, gaze flecked with gold as he reflexively moved to shift her impatiently to the side, jaw tight and eyes hunting sharp. Caroline's fingers went lax, and he shockingly murmured a clipped apology, clearly tracking the ass who'd rammed her. With her jacket and hat, he hadn't recognized her, and he froze as she stammered out his name.

"Klaus?"

His gaze snapped to hers, temper and focus flaring into surprise. Klaus blinked once, gaze heating and dragging reflexively down her rumpled figure. Something like delight mingled with frustration, and he drew her closer as he made sure she was steady, instead of pushing her away. "Hello, Caroline."

The way he murmured her name hadn't changed, and a shiver ran down her spine. "What are you doing here?"

A sigh, and his gaze flicked over her shoulder. "My apologies, sweetheart, but I'm afraid I'm in the middle some negotiations that have become unnecessarily complicated."

"Define unnecessarily."

A quick flash of dimples, and his gaze flicked around. "Unfortunately, it is the sort that needs a bit of a personal touch, but shouldn't take long. If you'd like, once concluded, I'd be delighted to pop back around. Perhaps you'd allow me to buy you dinner, as an apology?"

Caroline knew she was gaping a little, and Klaus dimpled at her surprise. His hands smoothed across her shoulders and he stepped back, tongue swiping across his lips as he continued to grin. "No? Perhaps coffee, then. Tuck yourself somewhere warm, love. I'll find you."

A moment later, she was standing alone, mouth shutting with a click. If it hadn't been for the lingering warmth of his hands imprinted on her arms, she'd almost believe she'd hallucinated the entire encounter. Klaus was here.

Caroline knew she should really go barricaded herself inside her apartment, and switch to something stronger than wine. But she found she didn't really want too. It had been over seventy years, since she'd seen Klaus. There had been an occasional rumor, particularly once she'd moved through supernatural communities larger than Mystic Falls, but nothing more. She'd never regretted their bargain, not when the last seventy years had let her grow, but that hadn't stopped her from thinking about him, occasionally.

Particularly when she'd gone on a dry spell for more than a few months. She'd had partners since Klaus who were good, but somehow her fantasies always circled back to him, his hands on her skin, the rasp of his voice against her ear. It'd been a long time since her pulse had kicked just by someone saying her name.

Shifting her weight, she winced. Besides, he totally owed her for the twisted ankle. It wasn't anything a little blood wouldn't fix, but ending ass first in a slush puddle did not appeal to her or her dignity. Decision made, she limped her way to a coffee shop.

A little blood, and she settled into a booth she felt no guilt for compelling herself, cradling acup of coffee and nibbling on a slice of cake that was prettier than it tasted. Still, it was chocolate and she hadn't felt the need to be overly picky. Hopefully, the cake would keep her from being tempted to accept that dinner invite.

She was just starting to wonder if Klaus had overstated his ability to find her, when he walked in the door. He' honed in on her immediately, and Caroline failed spectacularly at keeping her eyes on his face. He made a pretty picture, the perfect fit of his jacket and snow flecked curls, lips curling just enough to tease his dimples. Klaus slid across from her, smile widening at her narrowed eyes.

"You look cozy, love. I like the hat. No lingering damage from our abrupt meeting, I hope?"

Caroline took a deliberate breath, and beneath the coffee and cake, she didn't smell blood. Just Klaus, and that was more than enough. "I'm fine, thanks. Nothing a quick bite didn't fix. You surprisingly don't smell like a slaughter house."

A flash of dimples, as Klaus unwound the charcoal of his scarf, shrugging off his jacket a moment later. Caroline blinked at the thin, soft sweater he wore, the cords around his neck the only familiar part of his outfit. She was relieved when Klaus snagged the menu, gaze skimming the contents as she nearly swallowed her tongue.

She'd always have a fondness for those henleys, but this worked for her. It was ridiculous, her desire to reach over and smooth the soft fabric along his shoulders. Klaus glanced back up, gaze heated and a touch hungry.

"Thankfully, not everyone requires the same level of encouragement as your particular brand of acquaintances. The young witch took something that belongs to me, I merely retrieved it and arranged for him to be returned to his mother."

Caroline felt her eyebrows inch up, as the waitress walked over. She waited until Klaus had ordered his boring black coffee, ignored the way he eyed her half eaten cake with interest. "Returned him… in what condition?"

Klaus waved away her disbelief, grin tugging at his mouth. "A little wiser, to be certain. His mother belongs to a coven that I've worked with for centuries. I can afford to show a little leniency, but it did come with a bit of a cost, of course."

She rolled her eyes, and firmly pushed down her curiosity at that little tidbit he'd dropped. Asking questions about his past dealings with witches didn't seem like a good idea, even if she knew it'd drive her a little crazy. "Of course it did."

Another slow, amused smile and he studied her carefully. "How are you, Caroline? I'd have expected you to have jetted off to the warmer climates by now. Decided on snow this year?"

Her fingers curled around the fork she'd lifted in preparation for another bite of cake, and her gaze narrowed. "Um, what? How would you know that? Because stalking is not okay."

He tsked, eyes warm. "Hardy stalking, love. I merely keep an eye on things. I've kept to the letter of our little bargain, have I not?"

She swallowed at the flash behind his eyes, the way his gaze lingered on her lips as she groped for something to say. Awareness trembled through her stomach, cheeks heating as at his drawling reminder of the last time they'd seen each other. Caroline was saved from responding immediately as his coffee was dropped off. Klaus murmured his thanks, never taking his eyes from her face.

Deciding she wasn't ready to touch that particular trek down memory lane, regardless that her thoughts had gone there without his prompting earlier, she set her jaw and took a deep breath. "I don't like creepy loopholes. I really don't like my life being reported on as if you have a right to the information."

Klaus' made a low noise of dissent, gaze turning serious. "I have enemies, Caroline. I've no intention of interfering with your life, I believe I've proven that these past few decades, have I not? Over the years, I've done my best to squash any interest in Mystic Falls, particularly after the mess that New Orleans became."

She compressed her lips, forced herself to consider what he was saying. "There are boundaries, Klaus. Spying on me crosses several."

"I hardly get daily reports on your life, Caroline," he murmured, voice low and coaxing. "Just an occasional update from those who know to watch for you. I wish the measure wasn't necessary, but not all your friends are quiet so circumspect with your name. I will not allow you to used as collateral damage in someone's personal war."

Caroline clenched her teeth. One day, she'd have it out with Damon, and it wouldn't go nearly the way the older vampire thought it would. "I don't have to like it."

"I don't expect you to," Klaus replied, smile a touch sardonic. "Perhaps you should think of it this way, love. If something were to happen, I would know, and I'd come looking."

There was a steadiness to his voice, a glint of determination behind his eyes, that promised he meant his words. It was frustrating that he knew how to keep her so easily off balance, even after all these years, the firm promise of help should she require it weakening her temper. Unfortunately, that same steel also meant she probably wouldn't be able to budge him. She took a bite of cake and glowered.

Klaus' eyes gleamed, but he kept any amusement off his face. Giving her a moment to collect herself, he sipped his coffee. Frowning, his gaze lowered and he eyed the cup with distaste. Caroline didn't care if it made her a terrible person, she savored his dislike. His gaze lifted, eyes catching hers, and his head canted.

"New York suites you." Caroline blinked, and he grinned. "Have you enjoyed it?"

She considered his question, the slight eagerness behind his eyes. Klaus had always pushed her to move past Mystic Falls. His insistence that there was more to the world than he friends and small town had played a part in what had finally driven to leaving.

Not that she planned to admit that, any time soon.

"I adore the city," she murmured. "It's was the first place I fell truly in love with, after I left."

"I would've thought Barcelona or Adelaide, as often as you've returned," Klaus said thoughtfully, watching her face.

Caroline pointed her fork at him. "Reminding me that you've creepy spies right now, might not be in your favor."

A smile tugged at his lips. "Perhaps not. Will you allow me to acquit myself?"

She considered her options, the heat in his gaze, and realized she didn't know what she wanted from Klaus. Seventy years had changed many things, but what he had offered, what it was clear he was still offering, was far more than she was willing to examine too closely just then. But she felt more engaged than she had in weeks, and Klaus might push her, but he'd never taken more than she'd offered.

"I want more cake."

Klaus glanced around, before he arched a challenging brow. "Certainly not here?"

"Well, I guess that depends. What do you have in mind?" Her words came out a little throatier than she'd wanted, and the answering spark in his gaze was proof he still missed little.

One side of his mouth curved, voice deepening. "I may have a few suggestions…"

Caroline had fun meandering through the city with Klaus. She'd found herself paraded through bakeries, and plied with strong, bitter coffee to offset the sweet, while Klaus was at his most charming. He kept a low, running commentary of the city and various bakery origins as they walked, drawing out the occasional story from her as well. She'd spent more time smiling than she had in ages, and it was eye opening watching him charm everyone around them.

Seeing him in his element was fascinating.

The heat in his gaze, however, remained firmly for her, and it left her flushed and a touch giddy. It'd been years since someone who knew her had watched her with want open and unabashed in their eyes. Klaus had never been shy about what he wanted, but it had been seven decades.

It's been surprisingly perfect, the cold winter air and Klaus. When he'd dropped her off with a warm kiss on her cheek, she'd found herself agreeing to meet him for coffee in a few days.

Then another coffee.

Then lunch.

It wasn't until she was holding a handwritten invitation to celebrate the New Year that she really considered how much time she'd spent with Klaus. This invitation reflected a different one, sent years ago, the ornate writing the same from her memories. But instead of a cold knot of dread in her stomach, anticipation fizzed in her blood.

She'd promised Bonnie she'd be there for Christmas, but this gave her plenty of time to shop. Teeth dragging across her lip, she felt a smile curved along her mouth. She'd already decided she'd no intention of being in New York for the coming months, January and February's bitter cold offering none of the warmth of the holidays.

Plans twisting around in her brain, she opened her laptop to begin figuring out logistics. She wasn't ready for the eternity Klaus had once offered her, but she thought and interlude might be fun. And she was certain he'd agree, based on the careful way he'd allowed himself to touch her, the greedy way he watched her. She'd no intention of waking up on New Year's alone.

Plan set, she sent Bonnie a quick text to finalize their plans and began the task of finding the perfect dress to tempt Klaus' careful control.

If he was smart, Klaus would have champagne.


End file.
